On Wednesday, 12 March 2025, the opening of the factory for the production of ceramic products “Bäherden” took place in the Baherden district of the Akhal province. The opening ceremony was led by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
Eziz doganlar,” a private company, served as the contractor for the project, commissioned by the Ministry of Industry and Construction Production of Turkmenistan.
The plant is designed to produce 3.3 million square meters of ceramic decorative plates and 120,000 units of sanitary ware annually, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment from leading global manufacturers.
Notably, advanced equipment from the Italian company SACMI is installed, enabling automated production processes.
The facility manufactures diverse ceramic products, with rigorous physico-chemical testing conducted in an on-site laboratory, also equipped with high-tech SACMI equipment. These tests include verification of weight, humidity, water absorption, strength, and glazing, as well as the determination of added impurities.
The factory provides 460 jobs.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that the industrial sector and the construction industry give a great impetus to the socio-economic development of the country, providing high-quality construction products to construction sites and the population.
The head of state stressed that new modern villages are currently being built in the Ak Bugdai and Kaakhke districts of the Akhal province. Also this year, an additional workshop for the production of 100 tons of glass products per day will be commissioned in the Geoktepe district of the Akhal province.
International certification
The new plant is the first in Turkmenistan and one of the largest and most modern enterprises in the world producing such products, Michele Pulpito, a representative of SACMI Imola Societa Cooperativa, said at the ceremony.
The factory received two certificates, which were presented to the Minister of Industry and Construction Production of Turkmenistan.
One certificate, issued by SACMI Imola Societa Cooperativa, certifies that the Bäherden plant is equipped with advanced technology and that all engineering work and installed equipment fully adhere to European international standards.
The second certificate, from the Italian company Associazione Costruttori Italiani Macchine Attrezzature per Ceramica, confirms the plant’s environmentally friendly production and that the installed equipment meets all international quality, environmental, health, and safety certification standards.
The technological process at the factory
The production of ceramic decorative plates begins with raw materials processing in dedicated reception departments. Initially, materials are crushed to a size of 50 millimeters using specialized crushing machinery. For further refinement, this mixture enters a mill utilizing ball mill technology, where raw materials in powder form are mixed with water to create slip. This slip is transferred to underground reservoirs and then to an atomizer where moisture is removed through heating. The resulting dry powder is collected by conveyors into 16 reserve warehouses and continuously fed into the production cycle.
In the second production stage, the prepared mixture enters the pressing shop for distribution into molds. After filling, the molds are compressed using high-pressure hydraulic presses applying 340-500 kilograms of force per square centimeter.
To remove residual moisture, the pressed plates are then fed through 5-layer horizontal drying equipment.
After drying, the plates proceed to the glazing and decoration phase. Following these processes, the plates undergo a second glazing and are fired at 1230 degrees in a kiln to ensure long-term durability and strength.
Products exiting the kiln are automatically transferred to the rectification stage for polishing.
To ensure quality standards are met, all finished products undergo comprehensive testing using digital technology. Finally, the plates are packaged in boxes that include information about product quality, caliber, and image certification.
Sanitary ware products are manufactured using white clay, kaolin, feldspar, and quartz raw materials.
These materials are stored in enclosed warehouses and transported via conveyor systems to mills where they are mixed, crushed, and processed into slip, which is then stored in underground reservoirs.
The prepared slip is delivered through pipeline systems to standard and mechanical casting equipment that utilizes gypsum molds. When slip is poured into these molds, the shape of the sanitary fixture forms under pressure. After completing the initial forming processes, these products are transferred to specialized departments for further processing.
In sanitary ware production, alongside conventional casting methods, mechanical casting equipment is used to inject slip into production molds under high pressure. This technique is primarily used for high-volume sanitary product manufacturing. Following formation, products are automatically dried in dedicated drying chambers.
Upon exiting the dryers, products undergo cleaning and inspection by quality specialists. Approved items then receive a glaze coating, which enhances their aesthetic appearance while providing water resistance and improved hygienic properties.
The glazed products enter kilns heated to 1200 degrees, where the firing process hardens the enamel layer and completes the product curing.
After emerging from the kilns, all products undergo comprehensive quality control inspection before being packaged according to established industry standards and requirements.///nCa, 13 March 2025 [photo credit – TDH]